Hello: Enormous Retraction Comment Count

Brian

 XkcdKitty

TODAY: SPENT WITHIN NANOMETERS OF A BILLION CATS

So, right. Angelique talked to the people in question when it came to the weekend's Morgan Trent brouhaha:

Carr disputed the representation of the meeting during a phone interview on Monday with The News.

"That paragraph is completely a distortion of my conversation with Morgan," Carr said. "That is a complete distortion, and it is not accurate. I have never spoken with the author. I have never met him. I have never had a conversation with him to the best of my knowledge."

Trent on Monday told The News he initiated the conversation with Carr about what he had heard from NFL scouts regarding comments attributed to Rodriguez.

"Lloyd didn't bring any of this to my attention," Trent said. "When we spoke, I brought it up to him, and he said he had heard some of the same things."

This makes virtually everything I said about Carr wildly inaccurate and amongst the stupidest things I have to leave up, mocking me, for the rest of time. It has the added bonus of being not just factually inaccurate—see "we're totally going to a bowl in 2008!"—but mean-spirited and completely wrongheaded about someone who has given far more the university than I, and probably anyone reading this, has.

I mean… shit. Seriously. From time to time I am forced to look in the mirror and consider myself an asshole. This is one of those times. I don't know, man. The last few years have been wearing on me and at this point you would not believe the kinds of totally unverifiable but plausible-seeming stuff that hits my inbox and sometimes, like when you feel compelled to address the same damn thing that doesn't mean anything at all for the tenth time in the last few months the dike breaks and you publish something you regret. There is a lesson about the value of editors and a news cycle that has some time for reflection, consideration, and actually talking to the people involved. Sometimes it's unfortunate that this enterprise basically couldn't exist with the former and sometimes—still, even after five years—fails to apply the lessons learned over that timespan when it comes to the latter. And by this enterprise I mean "I". I know better by now, but apparently sometimes I don't. I absolutely should have applied Occam's Razor to "Lloyd Carr sells out university OR [CENSORED] who writes for Rivals' Rutgers site writes a book that vastly misrepresents something." I didn't.

All I can ask for is understanding. Mea culpa.

(At least I didn't buy the latest Big Ten rumors, amirite?)

Comments

bluesouth

May 11th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^

You still da man.  That's awful big of you to man up on this thing.  And just think in 20 years none of us really remember this shit or we won't give a crap if we did.

 

We got a whole 100+ days til kick off.  I just hope RR holds on and finishes the job 20 + years from now. 

braylon8500

May 11th, 2010 at 12:26 AM ^

Major props for this. You could have just ignored everything else about it and continued on, but the fact that you went back and retracted your statement demonstrates class and shows that you really care about the content you're putting out for everyone.

Michiganguy19

May 11th, 2010 at 12:35 AM ^

I know there have been plenty of opinions about what Lloyd's silence means, with regard to the losing, RR, the NCAA allegations, etc. Let's remember that Lloyd gave his professional life to this program, and there is no reason why we should assume that he wants anything less than the best for RR and the program.

He makes that known by stepping up when appropriate. As we all should have expected him to do.

Nieme08

May 11th, 2010 at 12:37 AM ^

Brian,

this makes me respect you even more as a sports writer. I just want to reiterate what everyone else has said. Way to man up and do it so promptly.  Best Michigan sports coverage: Right here. respect

Seth

May 11th, 2010 at 12:43 AM ^

I mean… shit. Seriously. From time to time I am forced to look in the mirror and consider myself an asshole. This is one of those times.

I think on all of the grand publications, institutions of their respective metropli for a century, who have fallen so far from their ideals simply for want of these very words.

sharkhunter

May 11th, 2010 at 12:49 AM ^

and that was truly a meltdown, we should all utilize the appropriate meter.  That self-published, OH native authored story was total BS to drive hits and interest (note this also works for freep articles too).

Tha Stunna

May 11th, 2010 at 1:08 AM ^

Brian, admitting you were wrong in such an overt and honest way is the right thing to do and the classy thing to do.  You would never make it at the Free Press.

NYWolverine

May 11th, 2010 at 1:17 AM ^

I've always kind of wondered where the line is drawn between "journalism" and "blogging" for those who choose to write for a web audience.  Not in all cases, but certainly in the case of "report blogging", i.e., the type of blogging that analyzes current events and suggests a form of delivering "news" to the blog's audience.  At some point, the author must tie himself to the integrity of his work, and the integrity of the author becomes exquisitely intertwined with the perception of the "blog" by the author's audience. 

At that point, IMO, the "blogger" must become a "journalist" (or at least a "professional writer", which would presume the same measure of due diligence as a journalist is supposed to perform), because all he's worked to build will crumble if the integrity of his writing becomes suspect.  Mustn't then the "blogger" be sure to edit, fact-check, reference check, etc., and do all the things that create a higher overhead, and are typically associated with newsprint and national publications?  And mustn't this naturally occur, since, at the end of the day, what people want is accountability.  Responsibility.  Professionalism. 

At the expense of losing the hobbyist's innocent naivete and mob comraderie, a successful professional blogger/reporter must embrace journalistic (professional) integrity.  Brian, you have at your disposal a team of writers and editors in FA, Tim, and to some degree Misopogon, Mathlete, TomVH, etc. You need to use them wisely. I was very surprised you wrote such a scathing critique of Coach Carr on spec of hearsay, but I'm also acutely aware of the anomolous nature of this slip-up re: your work.

I guess my point is: had you run your prior article by your writers/editors first, is there any chance you still hit 'submit'?  And if yes, what will you do in futuro to ensure you proceed with the correct level of objectivity with respect to your submissions? 

Space Coyote

May 11th, 2010 at 1:24 AM ^

He admitted his mistake.  Now, there are about 250 comments on that last post from people agreeing 100% with him.  Many people threw Lloyd squarely under the bus.  Some said Lloyd was no longer a Michigan Man.  IME, for these mgousers not to say anything doesn't mean that they don't support Brian's admission, it just means that they don't want to speak up right now.  Perhaps they feel they don't need to.  Perhaps they feel it is not their place to do so now.  Perhaps they think Brian is the current leader of mgoblog and that his post should be an umbrella for everyone else that made a mistake.  But for all the people calling out Lloyd, saying he was terrible for never speaking out, well he just did, even when he didn't need to.  Maybe now is a good time for some of those other posters to eat their words and follow suit.  You can admit your mistakes, those who no longer supported Lloyd for several hours today.  But, my feeling, you don't need to.  It isn't necessary.  Because that's not your job as a member of mgoblog.

 

In short, I'm glad Lloyd shut up a lot of the haters here.  He is a great Michigan Man.  And many props to Brian for realizing he was too quick to lose sight of that, if only for a few hours on an offseason afternoon.

colin

May 11th, 2010 at 1:46 AM ^

Lloyd is a great man, but I hope this brouhaha doesn't shut down the idea that he's somewhat responsible for the bumpy ride the transition has taken.  Scott Shafer (not necessarily him per se, but whatever happened there) is a lot of it, but a legitimate Carr disciple would have been the least costly alternative.  It's not worth harping on, but since there's plenty of talk here about why what's happened has, it's the reason we ever mention "culture shock."

MCalibur

May 11th, 2010 at 2:15 AM ^

Carr enjoys the privilege of maintaining silence if he wishes. But he is the most prominent visage of the old school; within a few sentences he could clear the air and at least give Rodriguez the berth he needs to determine his own fate.  LEGIONS of people would convert upon a simple statement of (quasi-)support from Lloyd Carr. Michigan no longer has the cachet required to overcome all this sniping. He can consolidate the base with one stern glare.

MCalibur

May 11th, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^

I was ignorant of that information. I haven't even heard anyone mention it until now.

Is that captured anywhere? If so, I'd love to see it. Not because I don't beleive it happened, but because I really would like to see it.

bringthewood

May 11th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^

I'm not convinced the original post was completely incorrect.  I think Brian was just pissed, had enough and responded in kind.  Swinging 180 degrees in the other direction is probably too far.  I think Carr is culpable to a degree, not sure how much.  

Someone posted a piece from one of the books on Bo where he talks about the support he got when he took over from Bump Elliott who stayed on in the Athletic Department.  He got firm support from Bump and I would have liked to see the same unwavering support from Carr.

I think if Carr had committed the same level of support for RR than Bo got from Bump we would be in much better shape now.  

colin

May 11th, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^

is the public record.  Which in itself presumably speaks to the AD's message discipline.  Something they'd probably not be able to maintain if Lloyd were actually involved in undermining Rich to any real degree.  AFAIK, no AD sources ended up named by the Freep during their Intensive Investigations Into Stretching.  

Bump's support may well be similar to what Lloyd's providing.  Nothing in the quote provided by MCaliber suggests Bump did anything above and beyond Lloyd:

If he wanted to, Bump could have made life very difficult for me. Hell, he could have set me up for failure. His players loved him, really loved him—and remember, that first year I was coaching all his players. I was an outsider, they didn’t owe me anything, and it wasn’t like I was making life easy for them, either. Bump was a former Michigan All-American, and a whole lot nicer than I was! They could have complained to him—he was still working at the athletic office—and I bet some of them tried, but he would have none of it. He made it clear to everyone that he was on my side.

Bump showed me what he was made of a dozen times, never interfering, always supporting me, in public and in private. That was a great gift—one I remembered years later when it was my turn to pass the torch.

The primary difference is probably the media environment, really. 

M-Wolverine

May 11th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

But in the rush to (justifiably) pat Brian on the back, it seems like there a lot of people forgetting they were saying the same thing and worse.  And looking like they weren't for the way they're acknowledging Brian's mistake, but not their own.  But that doesn't reflect on Brian, it reflects on them.

Sgt. Wolverine

May 11th, 2010 at 2:18 AM ^

This was the only proper response to the Post Which Shall Not Be Named.  Now we can move on from this and, I hope, never again stoop to castigation based on unsubstantiated stories and assumptions.  The internet may want everything NOW, but only breaking news deserves to be NOW; opinions can wait for a calm, measured and critical edit.

It's good to strive to be the first with breaking news and the best with opinion, and I hope we don't get that mixed up again.

Rorschach

May 11th, 2010 at 2:42 AM ^

"I mean… shit. Seriously. From time to time I am forced to look in the mirror and consider myself an asshole. This is one of those times. I don't know, man."

I know I've had those moments. This shit happens to the best of us. You've publicly admitted your mistake, which immedietly seperated you from those who drove you to this maddened state. So we move on with your credibility (if not your jumped-to conclusions) relatively intact. So... how bout that secondary?

matty blue

May 11th, 2010 at 6:24 AM ^

that showed some guts.

...that said, it continues to annoy me that lloyd is so silent when it comes to rodriguez.  yes, lloyd, we know - you wanted someone else.  get over it and get behind our guy.  why has this not happened?

matty blue

May 11th, 2010 at 8:02 AM ^

...i'm not really commenting on the current kerfuffle.

my "problem" (if it could even be called that) is lloyd carr's apparent unwillingness to come out and say "yes, i support rich rodriguez and believe he will be successful here," or something to that effect.  i seem to recall him doing that on behalf of a couple of OPPOSING coaches that were under fire during his tenure.  that he has not done that (repeatedly, and loudly) for a michigan coach is disappointing.  i'm fairly certain that he has been asked the question.

chitownblue2

May 11th, 2010 at 8:17 AM ^

This is to bouje and you:

What about his lovely, friendly, cordial relationship with the press while he was our head coach leads you to believe that he has any inclination to say a word to the press unless absolutely pressed to do so. The man loathed the press with every fiber of his being, and asking him to to deal with them now, in semi-retirement, would be like somebody coming to your house when you're 70 years old, and asking you to fill out your TPS reports (or a reasonable facsimile therein). I'm sure you would tell that guy to fuck his face, right?

bouje

May 11th, 2010 at 8:28 AM ^

It more more akin to you not filing out your TPS report and because you didn't the BP oil spill happened.  So they've asked you to fill out what you should have done a while ago. 

I understand he didn't like the media but ya know what that was (and still is) part of his job.  (With that being said i wouldn't mind going back to the Fort Schembechler ideals).

matty blue

May 11th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^

not necessarily disagreeing.

bo hated the press, too, and he wasn't shy about backing his successors.  handpicked successors, of course, which is where the similarity ends.

i'm also not dinging lloyd carr too hard here.  i just wish he'd back rodriguez when given the opportunity, opportunity that i believe he has had.  again, you can't tell me that someone - angelique, whoever - hasn't asked the question.  all he has to say is "i support rich rodriguez," and i guarantee you it would be reported.  but he hasn't done it, at least not to my admittedly limited knowledge.

STW P. Brabbs

May 11th, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^

Has Lloyd ever told me to my face that he supports Rodriguez?  Has anyone ever seen him in a In Rod I Trust T-Shirt?  WHY DIDN'T LLOYD WRITE THE "DECIMATED DEFENSE" SERIES?  WHY DID WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR MISOPOGON?

Hmm?  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???

Here's the thing - I'm guessing, based on a lot of circumstantial evidence, that Lloyd is not a big personal fan of Rodriguez.  I think what this story shows is that, fitting with an entire fucking career of integrity and doing the best for the university, he's not going to harm the program for the sake of any potential personal animosity.  So I say: who gives a shit if Lloyd doesn't like Rodriguez?

Everyone acts like Lloyd saying 'I support Rodriguez' will make all the difference in the world.  It will make fuck-all difference, except maybe on this message board.  If Rodriguez wins, he'll be fine.  If 2010 is a losing season, he's in big trouble.  Maybe, just maybe, at that point Lloyd coming out to say he supports him would matter, since after something like a 5-7 (2-6) season, RR might be facing termination.  But right now it would have negligible impact. 

I hope Michigan has a great season because I always do, but also because I don't want another coaching search, and because maybe the MGoBoard can finally let Rodriguez's career at Michigan be his career, and Lloyd's be his. 

bacon

May 11th, 2010 at 6:39 AM ^

Dammit. I was hoping enormous retraction was a new offensive line commit. Nice work Brian. I'll be happy when Michigan Football gets beyond the drama and back to playing football.

Njia

May 11th, 2010 at 6:45 AM ^

You wrote everything that needed to be written, except one, to Coach Carr himself. And that is, of course:

"I'm sorry, Coach."

michfan4borw

May 11th, 2010 at 7:13 AM ^

when I was 17, I got drunk at my friends house (ed: my friend's parents' house), hooked up with his younger sister only to get caught by her (and his) parents.  It took me 9 months to look the father in the eye and apologize for my behavior.  Not easy, but it was the right thing to do.  Brian just showed more professionalism (bravo, Brian) than those at so-called newspapers (freep, cough, freep), but I also agree that he should seriously consider contacting Carr personally too.  Even Michigan Men make mistakes.  Go blue and Go Mgo(blog)!

bouje

May 11th, 2010 at 7:34 AM ^

"Enough is enough if Brian thinks that this could be trust I must put a stop to this!"

Either way I'm glad that I missed the shit storm yesterday in that other thread.  I think that unless Michigan gets the ban hammer all of us no matter what happens just need to leave all of this shit alone. 

Let's just wait until we can see what happens on the field then we can go ape shit.  Until then I'll be sitting here waiting for the off-season that seems like it'll never come.